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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26584762">Devil's Deliverance Sonata</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DraziQueen/pseuds/DraziQueen'>DraziQueen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Creature's Daughter [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Frankenstein - Mary Shelley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:40:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,813</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26584762</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DraziQueen/pseuds/DraziQueen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rejected by humankind, the Creature contemplates revenge on his creator. Until he hears a cry in the woods...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Creature's Daughter [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1933816</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I awoke to the wound in my shoulder throbbing but this pain was nothing compared to the utter dejection from the beings closest in nature to me. If one were to commit atrocities such as murder, they would be shunned as a monster yet I, who had committed no such crimes was despised alike. I was prosecuted and punished like the most vile criminal though I was innocent.<br/>
In my first two years in this world I had no one. I saw children in the villages, their parents doted on them with affection. They could laugh and play in the carefree way that children do. They could run to their parents’ arms and be wrapped in a warm embrace. They seem so small and innocent compared to me though they are several years my senior.<br/>
I reached out to people many times before. When I awakened, I sought the first face my newborn gaze fell upon. I watched as he lay asleep in his bed. This was the person who had been there for me, a warmth swelled in my breast as he softly breathed in and out, his breath clouding the air. I yearned for contact so I reached out my hand towards him and smiled. I wished him to know my feelings towards him but my noises were incoherent and I think that frightened him.<br/>
My life after that was a chain of rejection after rejection, each one pushing me further away from humankind.<br/>
I had wept many times until my eyes became dry. Now I'd become numb and finding my creator, Victor Frankenstein, became my only goal.<br/>
I would make him pay for everything I suffered. He could have made me like other men but instead he made me hideous beyond belief. At first I never understood why people fled in horror until the day I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a still pool of water. The colour was marred by the mud saturating the pool but it was enough. Like the others, I drew back. The framework of muscles beneath the sunken cheeks were abhorrent. I buried my head in my lap, my heart hammering and my blood pulsing in my ears. The world was still new to me then, I think I genuinely believed I could escape my fears by closing my eyes and hiding. Unfortunately, I was endowed with curiosity which enticed me to take another glance.<br/>
This time, I was prepared for the sight but the preparation only served to elucidate the realization that I was the monster in the reflection. Every distorted line, each mass of cells almost visible beneath my translucent skin the colour of rotted meat breathed new horror into my existence.<br/>
I wondered if there should be others like me who would be similarly abhorred but from what I had observed both on my own and the treatment from others, I was an anomaly. There was no other being like me. I don't think I could fully comprehend but the cursed knowledge of my singular position in the world set in, like a parasite consuming me from the inside.<br/>
Even so, I was pure of heart and I sought after companions. In my search I came across a family, I watched them for months learning their language. Surely, they would accept me once they saw me as a rational being, much like them at heart. But as soon as I showed myself, they drove me away.<br/>
The bruises had faded but I could still feel each blow in my nightmares. Sometimes even a branch brushing my shoulders dragged me back to that moment. Despite this, I was still able to help another human, a little girl whom I saved from drowning. Her father repaid me with lead and this wound I was still recovering from.<br/>
If I am a good person, I must be worthy of life and love, every being seems to have that much. Can someone be unworthy simply because of how they look?<br/>
My soliloquy was interrupted by a pitiful sound which rang out against the silent background of the forest.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I may have heard that sound once before but I couldn't place it. It was high pitched and exuded such vulnerability that it seemed to cut into my heart.<br/>It felt as though a great stone was lodged in the pit of my stomach and I knew I had to find and help this creature.<br/>It was day time so I had to be guarded. The woods were usually quiet and the rustle of leaves and crack of twigs usually alerted me to their presence but there had been times when I could not hear their approach. I tried to forget these times but the memories still returned as venomously as before.<br/>The only sounds were the singing of the birds and that pitiful cry. I crawled from my hiding place, the movement making the pain in my shoulder throb anew but it barely registered, that cry cut straight to my heart.<br/>My steps crushed dry leaves under my bare feet and cracked twigs. A stone might have cut me but this innocent soul calling out to me, dulling any pain.<br/>In a hollow at the base of an oak tree by found the source of the sound. It was a tiny creature, pink as a cherry blossom wrapped in rags that appeared to have been torn from a burlap sack. Their head was crowned with ginger hair that glinted golden in the sunlight, their eyes were screwed shut, tears streamed from them. Their tiny fists waved in the air as though fighting against some invisible force.<br/>I found my eyes damp and I sank to my knees beside this creature. They had been abandoned as I had been. Their hands reached out as mine had but unlike my creator I would not turn away.<br/>I stroked their cheek with a single finger and the crying quietened. They looked up at me through brown eyes and for the first time ever, they did not shy away. The baby's tiny hand closed around my finger, softer than the finest silk. Their little lips curled into a smile.<br/>My heart thumped hard in my chest, they were the most vulnerable of all human kind yet they did not cower, they felt no fear from me. Tears touched my eyes and my heart swelled with the same affection I felt for the DeLaceys.<br/>Driven by instinct, I lifted the baby out from the tree hollow and tucked them in the crook of my elbow. My clothing was nothing more than the same rags I had since my creation. They had scarcely been washed and were stained in some places but the baby did not seem to mind. They nestled up to me, their breathing became steady.<br/>At first I felt stiff, afraid of hurting this delicate creature, my substantial hands could easily crush them and I was afraid that one slight movement could harm them.<br/>They appeared to look at the sky but made no sound.<br/>The rustle of a squirrel scampering through the undergrowth reminded me that I was still at risk. I recalled passing a rocky outcrop with caves earlier that day. I had considered moving the rocks and making myself a shelter but I had felt too tired and the wound in my shoulder ached terribly so I dug a ditch under a bush and lay there, concealed by the branches and leaves. My clothing which were rags when new had become so stained with soil that they blended into the surroundings. No one would have dreamed that a living corpse lay sleeping on the ground near them. But the space was small and I wouldn't be able to sit up and hold the baby properly.<br/>I decided to go to the cave and hide the entrance with a few rocks too heavy for anyone but myself to shift. I worried that the movement would disturb the baby but on the contrary, the gentle motion seemed to calm them and they slipped into sleep only awaking briefly when I set them down to cover the cave entrance.<br/>At last we were safe and there were still little strands of light reaching out to us from the world outside. Scooping the baby up, I held them to my chest.<br/>"You are safe now, little one," I whispered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At first, I was completely unsure of what to do. The things I had seen and read did nothing to prepare me caring for this tiny flower of life I found in the woods. I had nothing but instinct to guide me and I think it served me well.<br/>I learned to take care of the baby’s needs, tearing strips from my clothing to manage their bodily functions. I learned the baby was a she. I discovered that she could only take food that had been cooked well and mixed into a pulp with water. I gathered bracken and covered it with patches from my clothes so she could have a bed of sorts though I often found she preferred to settle against me.<br/>During this time, I'd often watch her as she lay in my arms with such serenity no one would have believed her cradle to be one so monstrous as I. Her scent was like a balm fixing all the cracks in my wounded heart, every day my love for this tiny being grew but I soon became bitter at the injustice of it.<br/>This perfect being whose laughter seemed to harken to the sun, whose smile could dissolve any pain had been abandoned, left to die in this forest.<br/>Our stories seemed almost entwined. Both of us had been forsaken by the world and perhaps some twist of fate brought us together. Maybe we were both weeping into the void and our cries met. She was safe and that was enough for her but I found myself weeping when I thought of what could have happened or what may have happened before she came to me but I tried not to dwell on these, it was likely to remain a mystery and I knew I would do all I could to ensure her happiness.<br/>She would crawl on the cave floor and at night, I would take her outside. I was hesitant to let her crawl on the forest floor as I never knew what was lurking beneath those leaves but she squirmed in my arms and so, after an examination of the area and checking it was safe, I let her crawl.<br/>As I watched her placing her delicate tiny hands on the dirty ground, stopping to pick up an angular stone it occurred to me that I didn’t know her name and for all intents and purposes, she was nameless and I couldn’t allow her to remain so.<br/>I think my exposure to names had been less than the average person. The names of Agatha and Safie pierced my mind and I froze, the faded bruises still aching. No, no, not those names.<br/>I reached out rapidly to stop her from putting a stone in her mouth.<br/>She squealed and looked at me as though I had done something to hurt her. I lowered my gaze. “I apologise, I never want you to get hurt.”<br/>She moved the stone towards her mouth again and I wished I had checked the area for stones. Fortunately a damp twig, too big to swallow lay nearby. I wiped it the best I could on my shirt and offered it to her. She immediately dropped the stone and started to chew on it as though she had nothing to eat that day. My stomach knotted with the prospect of her having some sort of illness yet there was nothing about her to indicate she was sick so I turned my thoughts back to the topic of a name.<br/>Perhaps it did not need to be a ‘proper’ name I had heard in books or people. There were many common words in the language I knew that had a strength that destined them for greater things than merely labels. Moon? No. I had seen flowers, ‘rose’ could make a lovely name, perhaps emotions like ‘joy’.<br/>She’d discarded the stick now and resumed her exploration of the area. I brought up my knees under my chin and watched her. Everything she did fascinated me, it was almost a reflection of my own experiences only years ago. She knew nothing but would use each and every sense to gain information, her fingertips ran over the bark of trees, she would point excitedly at little birds skipping across the forest floor or flitting from branch to branch.<br/>Sometimes she would utter odd words in a language I suspected was German but I was unable to decipher the exact words.<br/>She had stopped crawling now and was crouching down by a holly bush. I moved beside her incase she tried to touch the serrated leaves or tempting berries. I had a nasty experience with those berries a couple of years ago. I had to fight against my instinct to pull her away as she plucked a berry from its stem and held it carefully as though it was an egg. She tried to crawl with the berry still clutched in her tiny hand.<br/>It was only when she was closer that I realized her outstretched hand meant she was offering the berry to me.<br/>“Is this for me?” I asked.<br/>Her eyebrows knitted in confusion. I hoped that with time she’d grow to understand my language. I suspected her sparse vocabulary was limited to German but I understood not a word of it. Still, body language was universal.<br/>She giggled as I picked up the berry and cupped my hands then tilted them to make the berry move across the lines of my hands. Her smile spread across her face like a bird unfurling its wings and her eyes glittered at this simple joy. She picked up the berry and dropped it back into my hands, her gaze following the holly berry.<br/>I stopped as the perfect name struck me. “Holly.” It rolled off my tongue nicely. “Holly.” I laid my hand on her arm. “Do you like that name?” I pointed at her and repeated it.<br/>She thought we were playing a game and poked me back, her cheeks dimpled and she laughed. I did too, my heart swelled with a love stronger than any pain I’d felt before. Holly was the first person to love me unconditionally, her freckled hands explored the ridges of the muscles disturbingly displayed beneath a film of yellow skin with the same curiosity as she examined the leaves of the hollybush.<br/>We would meander through the forest for miles in no particular direction though I ensured we were always near the stream. Sometimes we would hear people coming and I would have to dash out of their way before they saw me. Holly didn’t understand and thought we were playing a game so I pretended we were. We’d forage for food and in the evenings I’d build a fire to keep us warm. We’d watch the flames together and I’d tell her about the books I’d read.<br/>Then at the end of the day, I would find us somewhere safe and undercover, building a shelter if necessary. Then we would settle to sleep, Holly could only fall asleep when I held her, but I could not sleep like that for I was so afraid I would accidentally crush her in the night. I arranged my coat to create a primitive cradle for her and I’d wait until she was sleeping then I’d lower her into the little nest. I slept beside it, always resting a finger on her arm so I’d know if she tried to wander off during the night.<br/>I think they were the most peaceful nights of my existence. The ground was often hard and cold but having Holly beside me gave me all the comfort I needed. Each night when I closed my eyes the same thoughts ran though my mind, after the no series of rejections I couldn't believe that here was someone who saw me like everyone else.<br/>Before Holly my mind was filled with poisonous plans of revenge for the creator who gave me life but cursed me with a face that inspires horror. My limbs still ached from past wounds, it was easy to allow myself to spiral down into the maze of these memories until sobs closed my throat.<br/>Then, I'd feel Holly stir or sigh and I'd remember the one person who showed me I was worthy of live in spite of my blasphemous origins. For the first time in my short life, I found peace.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, that's the end of the first story in this series but I have a few more ideas.</p><p>I worked hard to come up with a clever title for this one and my other ones will probably not be as thematic. I'm still working out an order to be honest but I hope you enjoy it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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